Lynnwood man pleads guilty in wifes death

EVERETT — A Lynnwood man accused of killing his wife in April faces more than 20 years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder.

A couple of weeks before her death, Cristy Larsen told her husband she wanted a divorce. She talked to her mother the day before she was killed, saying that Bart Larsen was upset and told her that he would sooner burn the house down than let his wife have it in a divorce.

Prosecutors alleged that Bart Larsen shot his wife at least eight times April 15 in their Lynnwood home. Evidence at the crime scene indicated that Cristy Larsen, 48, tried to escape after being shot once. She was shot several more times just inside the front door, court papers said. Her body was moved to the bedroom and covered with a sleeping bag.

Edmonds police found Bart Larsen, 50, slumped over the wheel of his pickup on Highway 99 several hours after neighbors reported hearing gunshots coming from the couple’s home. He was comatose for a couple of days after ingesting a large amount of over-the-counter medication.

Detectives found what appeared to be an apology note written by the defendant in the couple’s house.

Bart Larsen maintained on Tuesday that he doesn’t remember the night his wife was killed. He acknowledged that a jury likely would find him guilty of the woman’s murder. He pleaded guilty to second-degree domestic violence murder with a firearm.

Prosecutors plan to ask for an 18-year prison term at the sentencing hearing scheduled for May.